25/04/2014

Since many Erasmus are doing Babel Radio Show they also are surrounded by music. Radio Universidade de Coimbra is perfect ground to learn about music. As we are exchange students in Coimbra, we feel that it is our duty to promote local music, portuguese talent for international students and Erasmus.Here are the 5 portuguese bands we think every foreigner should listen.

1) Sensible Soccers

It is a band from Coimbra, who just released an album called “ 8”. Very psychedelic, mellow and happy music that can blow your mind and heart away. Needs to be mentioned that band´s bass guitarist Emanuel Botelho is also doing shows in Radio Universidade de Coimbra. Previous years he has been the guy to teach Erasmus and international students to develop radio skills for making Babel. Listen the song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWVSEJRPI_s( Maria-Rosa is name of the daugther of Emmanuel and this beautiful song is an example how newborn baby can create beautiful tunes)http://sensiblesoccers.bandcamp.com/2) Orelha Negra

Portuguese top musical collaboration at the moment. This funk-soul project was created 2009. The band consists of members like Sam the Kid ( many local people consider him the greatest Portuguese rapper, so please do check his music); Dj Cruzfader; Fred; Francisco Rebelo and João Gomes. Band made this year a hit called Solteiro, which hit astonishing 2 milion views on youtube. Check it out at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umkMgCCiiLcand also listen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFS4GonXg64#t=413) Noiserv

Batida
is the brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese Pedro Coquenão. A distinctly
modern and vibrant project with its feet firmly rooted in the past,
Batida combine samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern
electronic dance music. Music is the starting point but through dance,
poetry, graphics, photography, radio and video, Batida expands, taking
in politics and social commentary but always bringing it back to the
party - See more at:
http://www.soundwayrecords.com/artist/batida#sthash.ZHpEZ8zA.dpuf

Batida
is the brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese Pedro Coquenão. A
distinctly modern and vibrant project with its feet firmly rooted in
the past, Batida combine samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with
modern electronic dance music. Music is the starting point but
through dance, poetry, graphics, photography, radio and video, Batida
expands, taking in politics and social commentary but always bringing
it back to the party

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those were the first 5 bands that Babel Radio Show recommends to Erasmus and international students. If you want to know more, check or listen Santos da Casa on RUC. ( everyday 19.00 ) It is a show only about portuguese music. Follow them: https://www.facebook.com/santosdacasaruc---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Right now Babel is looking for voices to give birth to many characters in our alternative story telling shows.Journalism experience is not needed. Just love the radio and you are accepted.Check us at:https://www.facebook.com/babelruc?fref=tshttp://www.mixcloud.com/Babel_RUC/

01/04/2014

Florbela
Espaca, one of Portugal’s most
known and loved Poets, was born on December 8th,
1894 in Vila
Viçosa, a small town in
the Alentejo region under the name Flor
Bela de Alma da Conceição Espanca. She
was born as the daughter of Antónia da Conceição Lobo, a house
maid. Her father, João Marya Espanca, was married to Mariana do
Carmo Toscano. But because she wasn’t able to give birth to
children, João Espanca had an illegitimate affair with Florbela’s
mother, who was working for them. Because of this reason, Florbela
and her brother Apeles (who was born three years later) were baptized
as children of an “unknown” father. Only eighteen years after
Florbela’s death her father finally acknowledged her.

Already
at the age of nine she wrote her first poetic compositions, among
them the sonnet “A Vida e a Morte”
(Life and Death), which she dedicated to her brother Apeles. Four
years later she wrote the short story “Mamã!”,
and then only one year later her mother died at the age of 29.

Her
first marriage to Alberto Moutinho, a classmate of her, was
celebrated on her 19th
birthday. At that time she was studying at the College Masculino
André de Gouveia in Évora, where she graduated with a literature
degree in 1917. After that, she enrolled at the law school of the
University of Lisbon, being beneath the first women to do so.

After
a miscarriage in the year 1919 Florbela began to show the first
serious symptoms of emotional illness. In the very same year she
published her first book “Livro
de Mágoas“
(The Book of Sorrows), containing sonnets which “passes to others
the pain through its words.” One year later, after she divorced her
first husband (which exposed her to significant social prejudice) she
married António Guimarães. But also this marriage held not long, in
fact only one year. Because of a second miscarriage her husband
divorced her, and according to some people, António Guimarães hit
Florbela during their marriage as well. But still this divorce
affected her deeply. During that time she published the work “Livro
de Soror Saudade“
(Sister Saudade's Book).

In
1925 she married the doctor who treated her for a long time, Mário
Lage, and her life maybe would have improved, but only little after
her brother died in an airplane accident. Some people even believe
that he committed suicide, but this way or the other Florbela was
deeply affected and was therefore inspired to write “As
Máscaras do Destino” (The Masks of
Destiny).

Her
mindset towards life did not improve, and so she twice attempted
suicide in October and November 1936. Because she was diagnosed with
a pulmonary
edema, an illness which
causes water retention in the lungs and can lead to not being able to
breathe anymore, she finally lost all her hope to live. She died on
her 36th
birthday on 8th
December 1936. Due to her unstable health and her mental condition
the actual cause of her death is not entirely clear. These conditions
and her numerous difficulties in life shaped her love, erotic and
feminine writings. Her life, although she was only 36 years old when
she died, was restless and full of sufferings. But she was able to
put her feelings into words, created poetry of the highest quality
and became a famous Portuguese poet.

I
dream I am the chosen Poet,
Who knows all there is to know on Earth,
The one whose inspiration’s pure and perfect,
And captures infinity in a verse!

I
dream a verse of mine has all the brightness
To light the whole world!And
it will please
Even those who long and die of sadness!
And even wise, unhappy souls it will appease.

About BABEL

BABEL is a weekly radio show for exchange and visiting students or researchers at the University of Coimbra to voice their cultural background and talk about everything they experience while studying abroad.